


It's Just Us

by mountain_ash



Series: Things I Write on Tumblr dot com [26]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alternate Canon, Based on a Tumblr Post, Ficlet, Hurt/Comfort, Nogitsune Effects
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-15
Updated: 2016-08-15
Packaged: 2018-08-08 23:08:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,042
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7777285
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mountain_ash/pseuds/mountain_ash
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Stiles and Derek finally escape the Nogitsune's hold, they have only each other for comfort.</p>
            </blockquote>





	It's Just Us

**Author's Note:**

> Originally on [tumblr](http://a-mountain-ash.tumblr.com/post/150232342575/i-wrote-this-angsty-little-number-for-this-gifset) and based on [this](http://redandbluesterek.tumblr.com/post/78143420736/the-nogitsune-was-gone-finally-gone-what) beautiful manip by redandbluesterek on tumblr!

For two years, the Nogitsune had lain waste to Beacon Hills. For two years it had hidden in Stiles’ body, killing by night and terrorizing the Beacon Hills High student body by day. Those students unacquainted with the supernatural couldn’t understand the turn that Stiles had taken, seemingly overnight transforming from a self-conscious class-clown into the school’s most feared bully. While some knew he was responsible for the death of Allison Argent, others believed that her death was the reason for his sudden change.

What was potentially worse than Stiles’ change, however, was his corruption of Derek. While he had eventually released Isaac and the twins from his grasp, he had maintained his grip on Derek, possibly for the express purpose of conveying that he could. Derek had proven impossible for Chris to take down and Scott was so loathe to do so himself that the pack was resigned to simply trying to keep Derek from killing anyone. It proved to be an impossible task. In combination with the Nogitsune’s magic and Derek’s born werewolf strength, the pair had killed numerous beloved members of the Beacon Hills community. They had spared only Melissa and the Sheriff, if only to torment them with their impotent attempts at reclaiming Stiles.

The day the tables turned was the day Noshiko returned from Japan, fully healed and joined by a collective of kitsune banded together in the effort to defeat the Nogitsune. The pack had long since abandoned the pretense of defeating the Nogitsune without killing Stiles but when Noshiko and her fellow fox spirits held Stiles captive for just a moment, Scott stole his moment and bit his best friend on his shoulder. The Nogitsune screamed in agony as his demonic aura shattered from within and Stiles’ fragile, human body collapsed limply to the ground. Just feet from him, Derek fell as well.

Stiles was taken to the hospital where his body was determined to be in sound condition, but he remained catatonic, either incapable or unwilling to acknowledge or engage with the world around him. When he finally began responding enough to eat and drink with help, he was sent home to be cared for by the Sheriff.

Weeks passed and Stiles didn’t improve and the Sheriff broke, seeking help from the only person he could think of.

“He’ll respond to you, Derek, I know he will.” The Sheriff begged the werewolf as he stood nervously outside the giant sliding doors of the loft. Derek stood wearily within the confines of his home, unwilling to fully open the door to the man for whom he had been an instrument of torture over the last two years.

“I don’t think I can.” He said regretfully, his voice quavering and small. “I can’t see him.”

The Sheriff pounded his fist on the iron door forcefully, causing Derek to flinch away. “Damnit Derek I need you to! This isn’t about what happened anymore. That had nothing to do with you.”

They stood silently for more moments than Derek could have kept track of: the Sheriff resignedly staring at the floor and Derek monitoring the Sheriff’s honesty.

“You really think I can help put things right?” He finally asked.

“The Nogitsune didn’t force you to obey Stiles for no reason, son.” The Sheriff answered with brutal honesty. “If you don’t matter to Stiles, certainly no one else does.”

Derek’s mouth parted temporarily, but the protest died on his lips and he nodded resignedly.

When the Sheriff left him at the door of Stiles’ dark bedroom, the young man lay awake but unresponsive upon his unmade bed. Stiles’ body had wasted away to little more than he had been as a scrawny 17-year-old two years prior and Derek’s stomach twisted nauseatingly as he realized in more concrete terms how much time had passed while they were possessed.

“Stiles.” He whispered uncertainly as he inched towards the bed. He craved contact with the human lying in bed before him while his survival instincts screamed at him to run far and fast. “Stiles.” He pressed more urgently, his voice erupting fast and harsh from behind clenched teeth. Tears were rapidly choking his throat as he stifled the urge to protect himself from his now harmless friend.

“Stiles wake up, please. You have to wake up.” Liquid was now leaking from his eyes without him realizing as Derek reached out to cup Stiles’ cheek reassuringly in his large hand. “I can’t get through all this without you, Stiles. The things I did. No one else will understand.”

The young man continued to lie unaffected upon his bed as Derek curled over and sobbed into his chest. As the emotions overwhelmed Derek, his sobs grew dry and fitful until a ragged roar tore out of his chest, reverberating through Stiles body and he jolted forth, eyes glowing yellow as a similarly wounded cry ripped from his own chest.

Derek pulled away from Stiles in surprise as the young man stared at him with werewolf eyes and their chests heaved in guilt-ridden exertion. Stiles seemed to shrink within himself as Derek looked him over and suddenly the Sheriff’s words resonated within him more strongly than anything else ever had. The was the most important thing in the world to him and the Nogitsune had known it.

Stiles finally focused his yellow eyes on Derek and his breathing calmed minutely. “What happened Dere-”

The werewolf leaned forward rapidly and pressed his lips to Stiles without hesitation. They had kissed only once before, a few months ago when Stiles managed to break through the Nogitsune's hold one final time. He had known that after that, he and Derek might disappear beneath the demon's possession permanently. That kiss had been their final show of humanity, and Derek wished this kiss would cleanse the memory of that one. It couldn't of course, but it could be a new beginning. Just as Stiles began to reciprocate, Derek pulled away. “I’m here and you’re here, and that’s all that matters.”

Stiles stared at him intently for long moments, fear and gratitude mixing in his yellow eyes and he swallowed uncertainly. “It’s just us now?” He asked finally.

Derek nodded in relief greater than he could adequately express. “It’s just us.”

**Author's Note:**

> Comments always appreciated and come visit me on [tumblr](http://a-mountain-ash.tumblr.com/)!


End file.
